1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a non-volatile memory device and to a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a non-volatile memory device including a charge trapping layer, and to a method of manufacturing the non-volatile memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor memory device may be classified, e.g., as a volatile memory device or as a non-volatile memory device. A volatile memory device, e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, etc., may have a relatively fast data input/output speed but may lose data over time. A non-volatile memory device, e.g., an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device, a flash EEPROM memory device, etc., may have a relatively slow data input/output but may continuously store data over time.
A conventional non-volatile memory device, e.g., a flash EEPROM device, may electrically program/erase data by a Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (F-N tunneling) or a channel hot electron injection. For example, the flash EEPROM device may be classified as a floating gate type non-volatile memory device or a charge trap type non-volatile memory device, e.g., a metal-oxide-nitride-oxide semiconductor (MONOS) device.
A conventional charge trap type non-volatile memory device may include a tunnel oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate, a charge trapping layer for trapping electrons from a channel region, a dielectric layer formed on the charge trapping layer, a gate electrode formed on the dielectric layer, and a spacer formed on a sidewall of the gate electrode.
However, when thermal stress is applied to the conventional charge trapping layer, electrons in the charge trapping layer may laterally diffuse, so thermal stress characteristics of the non-volatile memory device may be deteriorated. For example, when the conventional non-volatile memory device is heated at a temperature of about 200° C. for about 2 hours, a threshold voltage of the non-volatile memory device may be substantially decreased. The threshold voltage of the non-volatile memory device may be decreased even further, when the programming/erasing operations of the non-volatile memory device are performed about 1,000 times to about 1,200 times, and the non-volatile memory device is heated at a temperature of about 200° C. for about 2 hours.